Priceless
by kira66
Summary: This story is set in the Twilight universe. ArcherT'Pol.


The first thing Jonathan Archer noticed when he woke was that the room looked and smelled different. First of all it was bigger than it should have been. Secondly the bed was twice the size of a standard Starfleet issue bed. And thirdly, it smelled of sunshine and fresh air. The second thing he noticed was that he wasn't alone. Turning his head to the side, he focused on the strange, cherub like face just inches from his own. "Who are you?" It was the first thing that popped into his mind to say.

"Silly daddy!" The cherub said with a giggle and backed-up slightly so that she could sit Indian style on the bed. "You don't 'member me." She said with a frown which promptly turned into a smile. "That's okay!" Pointing to herself she made her introduction. "My name is T'Laya." It was almost like she thought this was a game of some sorts.

Jon sat up, slowly, never taking his eyes off the child. He hadn't missed the fact that she had called him _daddy_. It also didn't escape him that she has tiny pointed ears sticking out through her sandy brown hair. "It's a pleasure to be meet you, T'Laya. Can you tell me where I am?" He was so confused but forcing himself to stay calm so he didn't scare the little girl.

"What did I tell you about being in here in the mornings, T'Laya?" A woman, obviously the childs mother, questioned as she stepped into the bedroom carrying a tray containing a plate of food. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail.

T'Laya looked over her shoulder at her mother then down at her lap. "That I had to wait for you." The little girl mumbled her standard answer.

It was obvious to Jon that the little girls answer was rehearsed and well used. If she had been in here, wherever here was, before why could he remember her? Looking away from the child, he brought his eyes up to her mother and froze. He was surprised to see a familiar face. "T'Pol?" He questioned even more confused than before.

T'Pol moved around the bed and sat the tray on his lap. "After you eat, I'll explain." She assured him then focused on the child. "Your lessons are laid out on the table." It was a subtle dismissal but a dismissal all the same.

"Yes, mother." T'Laya acknowledged then slid from the bed and left the room without another word.

Jon opened and closed his mouth not once but twice, unable to form words. "You have a daughter?" He finally managed to ask.

"_We_ have a daughter, Jonathan." T'Pol corrected him then moved to the small window and pulled the crude curtain aside to let in the morning light.

Having taken a bit of the brownish-grey patty on his plate, Jon choked at her revelation. "I beg your pardon?" He asked after taking a sip of water to wash down the _food_, a term he would use lightly.

T'Pol turned, her back to the window. "What is the last thing you remember?" She wanted to know.

Jon blinked. Even though he found the question odd, he decided to humor her with an answer. "We were talking about Rosemary's Baby."

"An anomaly hit the Enterprise that day. Do you remember?" T'Pol asked as she moved away from the window and sat down on the edge of the bed, near his feet.

Searching his memories, Jon nodded. "Yes, your leg was trapped underneath a beam." He struggled to remember what happened next.

T'Pol folded her hands on her lap and started her explanation where he left off. "You freed me, but were hit by the anomaly. Spatial parasites attached themselves to your hippocampus, preventing you from retaining long-term memories. On a good day your memory will last until you go to sleep. On a bad day it will last for only a few hours."

Jon struggled to accept her explanation but it was hard. "A few hours?" He felt a headache blossom behind his eyes. "What happened to Enterprise?" Was it destroyed and he just couldn't remember? Why else would they be on a planet?

"It is in orbit. It just got back from patrolling this system." T'Pol explained then waited for the other questions that she knew he would ask. He basically asked the same ones each day.

"The mission? Earth?" Jon almost didn't want to know the answer. He knew they weren't on Earth and that _couldn't_ be a good sign.

T'Pol hesitated knowing that the next part would upset him. So before she answered, she removed the tray from his lap and sat it on the bed. "We could not stop the Xindi. Earth was destroyed." She made a vow long ago that she would never lie to him about what happened to his Homeworld.

Jon stumbled from the bed, falling to his knees after becoming tangled in the sheet that had been covering him. "What happened to my people?" He asked not bothering to gather himself off the floor.

"All that is left is here on Ceti Alpha V." T'Pol could feel his pain through the bond that they shared. A bond that he knew nothing about. Yet.

"How many...how many are left?" Jon looked up at her from the floor, begging her to tell him that it was all a bad dream, that he had to wake up now.

T'Pol swallowed and dropped to her knees beside him. "About six thousand." She answered in a soft, tight, voice. It was obvious that she was struggling to contain her pain as well.

Jon felt sick to his stomach. Only about six thousand survivors? So few, out of how many billions? Only six thousand men, women, and children survived the Xindi attack on Earth and made it to the remote planet that they now occupied. It was enough, he knew, to begin again. The human race would prevail, it had to. He didn't want to break down in front of his first officer but something in his mind told him that it was alright. So he didn't protest when gentle hands pulled his head down.

Cradling Jonathan's head in her lap, T'Pol gently stroked his silver hair; a feature she thought made him look distinguished. "Enterprise left us here with the other humans at my request." She continued to speak, quietly, soothingly.

"Why?" Jon knew he could always count on T'Pol; she was the only constant in his life. She stayed with him for some reason, loyalty perhaps? It did run deep with her. But that didn't explain the presence of _their_ child, now did it? "Why, T'Pol?" He asked again, his voice thick with emotion.

T'Pol raised both eyebrows and stroked his hair as if that answered his question. After a moment, she untangled the sheet and helped off the floor and onto the bed. She sat back at his feet, this time facing him.

Jon swallowed. "And us?" That was the one thing he just couldn't get his mind wrapped around.

"We have been friends for many years. Our intimacy didn't start until seven years ago." T'Pol fidgeted, this part of the explanation always made her uncomfortable. "That's when I entered Pon Farr."

"Pon what?" Jon waited for her to continue.

T'Pol sighed, something she picked up from her time living amongst humans. "It is the time of mating for Vulcans." She could see him grow defensive, this was not a surprise since she knew him so well. She always knew what his reaction would be and yet, she had illogically assumed that he would remember his consent all those years ago. It was obvious he would never remember that agreement, their bonding ceremony, or even the birth of their children. But she still hoped, something else she picked up from the humans.

Jon looked at her with stunned silence. A range of emotions were overtaking him but it was guilt and confusion that was warring for dominance. He could remember having an attraction to her and a deep caring, but, she deserved more. She deserved someone who could remember yesterday, the day before, last month or even a year ago. "It seems I owe you my life, T'Pol." He said hoarsely as he stared into her eyes. "I'm so sorry for all the sacrifices you've made for me. It must've been difficult for you." What else could he say?

"You sacrificed yourself for me in the corridor that day. It seemed a debt I should repay." T'Pol told him.

Guilt won and Jon looked away. He didn't want to be anyones debt nor did he want her to think that she had to stay because of it. "How long have we been here? Together?"

T'Pol frowned at the emotions she was getting from him. They seemed bleaker than usual. She'd have to change that. "We've been here for approximatly twelve years. And we have been mates for five."

Jon pushed the guilt away, he still had questions that needed answered. "Where does T'Laya fit into all of this?"

"T'Laya was the result of a successful Pon Farr. When a Vulcan woman finds her mate and her Katra is satisfied, a bond and a child is the result. Her...conception...was a surprise to both of us. But Phlox assured us that with his help, I could carry her to term without problem or complication. He was, of course, correct. She was born healthy, eleven months later. After her birth I started on a regimen of vitamins and supplements that Doctor Phlox assured us would make conception and delivery of any other children possible." T'Pol explained.

"And did it? Make it possible, I mean?" Jon felt his head reeling. To him, just a few hours ago, he was talking to his First Officer about a horror movie. Now he was talking to his mate about their children, if he was understanding her correctly, they had more than one.

T'Pol nodded and her lips twitched as she thought about their children. "T'Laya is the oldest at four. I was uncertain if you wanted more but then Henry was born two years later. You were pleased to have a son, even though T'Laya has you wrapped around her little finger." She paused for a moment to let him absorb what she was saying. "And currently I am with child." She picked up his hand and placed it on her bump then covered it with hers. "We do not know the sex of this baby, you said you want it to be a surprise."

Jon was surprised to feel a flutter under his palm and he grinned. He was a _dad!_ Who would have thought? Certainly not him. That's when he noticed the ring adorning her ring finger. "We're married?"

"Like I said, we had a successful Pon Farr. By Vulcan law we were joined the moment T'Laya was conceived. You wanted to make it official so you asked Phlox to do the honor. We were married two days after we found out about the baby." T'Pol removed her hand from over his and reached up to touched his cheek. "I know this must be difficult for you to go through everyday but know that you will always have your family here to care for you." She promised.

"Think I could see them before I forget everything you just told me?" Jon quipped, it was the only way for him to get past the ache he felt at knowing he was going to forget his family at the end of the day.

T'Pol stood and offered him her hand. Once he took it, she pulled him off the bed and lead him out of their bedroom and into the small living area. She released his hand. "Go ahead and pick him up." She knew, without looking, that his eyes were glued to the sandy haired little boy playing in the middle of the space.

Jon felt himself tear up as he moved forward, reached down, and picked the toddler up. Afraid that he was going to scare him, he moved slowly, turning him in his arms. He almost gasped when he saw that the boy had _his _green eyes; the _Archer_ green eyes. "Hello there."

Two year old Henry Archer giggled and grabbed his fathers nose. He was oblivious to his fathers hesitation. "Daddy!" He squealed. Vulcan children, even hybrids, were advanced for their ages.

Using his free hand, Jon brushed back the hair that hung over the boys ears and grinned when he saw little points. Feeling a tug on his pant leg, he looked down. "Good morning, T'Laya." He greeted.

T'Laya smiled. "Morning daddy!" She gushed then wrapped her arms around his leg. "Will you help me with my lessons?" She asked, sounding just like her mother.

Jon looked to T'Pol for permission then chuckled when she raised an eyebrow at him. "Sure I'll help you, sweetpea." He followed her over to the table where her things were laid out. Sitting down, he adjusted Henry on his lap and leaned over to see what she was doing.

Knowing that Jon would be fine with the kids, T'Pol decided to read over some padds that had been sent by Enterprise. Hearing a rumble of laugher followed by a high pitched squeal, she looked up from the science report to find Jonathan holding Henry in the air pretending to be a shuttle. T'Laya was giggling and twirling around under his feet. A small, microscopic, piece of her dreaded having to tell this same story again tomorrow but she would because moments like these were priceless.


End file.
